Mission Impossible?

December 7, 2018

Years ago, one of my favorite TV shows was "Mission Impossible." This show always began with a recording (a tiny reel to reel tape machine!) that outlined a possible mission. Somewhere in that message, the unknown voice said, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is. . . ." and named that mission. At the end, that same voice always told Peter Graves that if he or his team got caught, the officials would disavow knowing anything about the mission. Then the voice said, "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." So I got to watch this tiny reel to reel machine go up in smoke every week.

As Christians, we have no record of God telling Jesus about his particular mission. There is no disembodied voice. There is no tape recorder going up in smoke. At times, I have wondered just how-and exactly when-Jesus knew who he was and what he was destined to do. We have four gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry, yet each one has its own perspective, none are what we would term "biographies" and the gospels certainly are not live news accounts like we would see on television. Instead, these accounts were about Love-the kind of unconditional, amazing Love that poured out of, and through, this humble carpenter from Nazareth. He had come to show human beings a better way to live. A way that did not put the emperor first. A way that did not put money first. A way that did not put education first. A way that did not put anything first, except God who created us and sustains us, from our first breath to our final one. Jesus came to show us that our main "mission" is to love God first, and then out of that great love, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

On Tuesday, as I watched President George H.W. Bush's funeral at our own Washington National Cathedral, I was struck by an image shared by the Rev. Dr. Russell Levinson (the Bush's priest and pastor at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston.) For the last hour of the President's life, Levinson noted that Bush's dear friend, James Baker, had stood at the foot of the bed and rubbed President Bush's feet-a gesture that was symbolic of a servant's gesture, and that of a good friend. When your friend is dying, you want to make him or her as comfortable as you can. You do acts of love, and you don't do them because someone is likely to mention them at the funeral. You do them because you love. Simple as that.

This kind of love, best shown to us by Jesus of Nazareth, is amazing love, isn't it? Such love is lived out in many ways, yet I think that every time we gather together as a faith community to worship, we get a glimpse of God's realm. We re-member the Body of Christ, just by coming together to worship. We remember what Jesus did the night before he died, as he broke bread and poured wine and told his disciples "whenever you do this, remember me." And so we do. We still do.

This is good news. It is, in fact, great news, and it is news worth sharing. This brings me to challenge you, to see if you might have a particular mission.

In the next few weeks, we will gather at St. Philip's for special Advent or Christmas services. On December 23, we'll enjoy an old tradition: the service of Advent Lessons & Carols, which is based on a liturgy first done at Kings College, Cambridge, England. Then, as our tradition has become, you have the chance to come with a group of people downstairs to the Wyatt Hall basement, where we will tie long "ropes" of greens together in garlands. Later, those beautiful garlands will be hung in our worship space to make it more beautiful for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, we'll offer two wonderful experiences of worship. The earlier service is very child and family friendly, and we celebrate the fact that any child-whether long-time parishioner or total stranger-can show up at 4:00 and get a costume to be in the Christmas pageant. Then one of the clergy will narrate the Christmas story while the shepherds and sheep and animals and angels and Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus appear in their proper order. Thus will we tell "the greatest story ever told." There will be chaos and noise and maybe crying and unexpected things. One never knows. But at the end of that service, we will get to spend a few reflective moments with candles and the singing of "Silent Night."

The later service will begin with a series of special anthems and seasonal carols at 7:30, and the service will begin at 8:00 p.m. Our adult choir and bell choir will both offer beautiful music, and again, at the end, we'll get to sing "Silent Night" with candles before we burst out with "Joy to the World."

Robert and I would like to challenge you. To what? We challenge (and invite you) to invite someone to Christmas service worship services. This is the perfect time of year to do that. Yes, we have a lot of introverts in this congregation. Yes, we are Episcopalians. We don't do that "invite" thing so well in the Episcopal Church. Yet in the past year, our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and others have elevated the profile of our wonderful Anglican tradition-first by his preaching at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, then by the Episcopal funeral service for former First Lady Barbara Bush, and this week, by the State Funeral of President George H.W. Bush at our own Washington National Cathedral.

All you have to do is say "You should come to St. Philip's with me for ______. We'll sing special music, and your kids can be in the pageant. What? Yes, it was our own Michael Curry who preached the wedding sermon. Yes, it was at the Episcopal Cathedral where President Bush was celebrated recently. St. Philip's is a great place. Why don't you come with me and see for yourself?" Then offer to pick those folks up or to meet them here in the worship space. Tell them you'll save them a seat, or offer to meet them at the front door, or in the parking lot.

If you need a physical "prop," we'll have a stack of cards ready for you this coming Sunday. On this card are pictures from last Christmas Eve services, plus the schedule for this year's special services. You can hand it to someone and invite them to come with you.

We have an amazing place of worship. Our space is historic. Our family of faith is not so large that people will feel like a number. They will have a name, and we will welcome them. Yet if you don't invite them, they may never find these things out.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to invite someone to come to church with you in the next three weeks. And this tape will not self-destruct in five seconds.

Tell someone about God's good news in this place. It is worth telling. It is worth sharing. It is worth celebrating. Blessings, Sheila+

Christmas Worship Services

Sunday, December 23

9:00 a.m. (One Service Only): Advent Lessons & Carols

Service of Advent Lessons & Carols, based on ancient service in Church of England

10:30 a.m. Greening of the Church & Soup luncheon

Bring some homemade soup in a crockpot or sandwiches to share after we are done!

Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve

4:00 p.m. Children show up in Wyatt Hall to get Christmas pageant costumes

4:30 p.m. Family Friendly Christmas Eve service with Christmas Pageant

7:30 p.m. Seasonal hymns and special choir anthems with Adult & Bell Choirs

8:00 p.m. Choral Festival Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

Sunday, December 30

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I

10:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II

Note: No Sunday School on Dec. 30

Important Note:

Have you ever invited someone to come to church with you? If not, why not do that for some or all of these special Christmas services? No one is ever offended to be asked, and special Christmas services is a perfect time to invite a friend, an office-mate, a work colleague, a neighbor, to join you and your family here at St. Philip's. Think about what you love most about this faith community, and then extend the chance for someone else to experience, then love it, too.

Christmas Worship Services

If You See a Star, You May Pack Your Gifts. If you Follow the Star, You May Become a Gift

The Gratitude Challenge

Good News in the Wilderness